The Last Arena
by shadowxs160
Summary: AU: The age of the shinobi is over. To survive in this world, you must become a Gladiator. You fight for the Arena. Let nothing stand in your way! This is Sakura's way of life, but there are things in life you just can't expect.
1. Act I: Chapter 1

**Act I: Welcome to Leaf Arena**

_Chapter 1: Historical_

She withdrew her long sword from its holster. Her clothes were stained with the very blood that dripped from her sword; and her opponent. He reverted to groveling, merely begging for his life. His left arm had been severed; not that it would do him any good since she had already crushed every bone in it. He clenched his shoulder, or whatever was left of it, and was down on his knees. Tears ran down his face as he pled for survival. She was merciful, but the crowd, however, was not. There was loud hooting and hollering. 'Kill him! Kill him!' they chanted, and she was a crowd pleaser. That was her job. She turned around and headed for the exit, dropping the blade on her way out. The crowd booed. "What?" The dying man shouted. "You're going to leave me hear? Please, just let me die with dignity. Please!" The woman sighed. She muttered under her breath, "You asked for it." In a flash, she spun around and threw a kunai knife straight into his forehead, silencing him forever; but sending the crowd into an uproar. The man fell flat on the ground, face first, effectively pushing the kunai further into his head. Sakura swiftly exited the arena. She was a crowd pleaser; that was her job.

Her name was Sakura Haruno, yet her stage name was Sakura Cherry Blossom. She thought it rather redundant to have a stage name, especially since there was no stage, but she was a performer; the best performer that Leaf Arena had in their roster. There were other excellent fighters like 'Dog-tag' Inuzuka and Ino the Spirit, but Sakura was top dog around the arena, for now. When Sakura first arrived at the arena, she wore a white flowing robe. Now her robe was tattered, shredded; not even a speck of white was left on the cloth. Blood stained every fiber and the bottom pieces fluttered in the wind.

Leaf Arena is an eight story combat ground. It is the largest of the five coliseums, and now the last. All other arenas have been shut down due to the fact that all of their fighters were killed, slaughtered, or offered a better career at the Leaf. Arenas were once a simple plan to kill off any extra criminals or convicts. However, it escalated into one of the biggest entertainment features in all the countries. This particular arena was built right on top of the old Leaf Village Stadium. The stadium once held many events, including the historic Chunin Exams. Now the age of the shinobi is over. In the course of three years, the Leaf Village lacked most of its former ninja; as did the rest of the villages. From the public view it was a simple play, an act if you will. They don't realize how many good shinobi, or gladiators as they were now called, lost their lives to some of the most dangerous rogue's on the face of the earth.

Sakura wasn't in it for the fame, or the fortune, or the lust to kill that so many gladiators had. She loved the audience, she loved the applause; she loved how the spectators reacted at every strike, every blow that she landed. They respected her; she was renown throughout the country. Sakura traveled down the hall, glowing with pride over her most recent victory. Along the way, she passed some of the polished statues of the former champions. There at the end of "The Hall of Warriors" was an empty podium; a space waiting to be filled by the next great gladiator to come along. She wanted that place in history. Her statue would light the halls of the arena. She turned left at the empty space and continued to the rest room. She opened the door and found Ino Yamanaka fondling with her hair in the mirror. She was called The Spirit because of her techniques, like body stealing and such. "Nice fight out there, Sakura." Ino complemented while brushing her long blonde, obviously unaltered hair. "He almost had you, there."

Sakura smiled as she wetted a paper towel to wipe the dried blood off of her face. "He didn't even come close. I hear you're fighting Kiba tonight, those gladiator rounds are tough." Sakura pulled off her tattered dress and under them was her normal attire of a mini-skirt and pink shirt.

"I didn't want to participate in it, but Kiba said it was a good idea."

In Leaf Arena, normal rounds are fought against criminal scum and traveling gladiators from across the land. A Gladiator Round was a one-on-one match in the arena with one gladiator fighting against another, from the same arena. Gladiator Rounds can put friends against each other. It is not usually fatal, unless the Director calls for it. The Director is the current owner and manager of the arena. He hires his gladiators, and can make or break careers. The current Director was a devious man who fancied the strongest contender he had, Sakura herself. She however did not return his feelings and it is assumed that is the reason why she does not yet have her own pedestal in The Hall of Warriors. That's Sakura's theory, but others just think it's because he is a total douche.

The Arena is also a prison for criminals, waiting to be executed. What better way to execute a prisoner than in front of a crowd? The two friends exited the rest room and headed to the mess hall. For a violent, cut-throat prison/warzone, the food was very exquisite. 'The best food for the best gladiators,' The Director said at the last board meeting. Ino and Sakura got in line and grabbed a tray. After selecting their lunching they sat down at the table in the center.

Sitting next to them was Kiba 'Dog-tag' Inuzuka and Hinata 'Violet' Hyuuga. Kiba was a wild child who preferred to take his opponents head on with his companion, Akamaru (or 'Wonderdog' as the press has been known to call him). This frightened Ino the most because, in battle, she needed time to perform her jutsu. She loathed the very idea of fighting him in close combat. Hinata was a shy girl, but she stood up for what she believed in. She favored the long sword, but was revered in the coliseum for paralyzing blows to the chakra network. Her fighting style was similar to her cousin, Neji 'The Vortex,' who had just recently disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

"So Ino, are you ready for our match tonight? I'm totally psyched!" Kiba shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

"Uhh…" Ino stuttered, "Yeah, I sure am." She chuckled, faking a smile as hard as she could. Suddenly the doors burst open and The Director swaggered though the café. He made his way over to Sakura's table and stared down at her.

"My dear Cherry Blossom." He said soothingly.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Hello, Director."

He coughed, "That's Mr. Director, sir, but you know you can just call me Sasuke."

"Yeah, well, what do you want?" She asked, already annoyed by the ten seconds of life she will never get back. He smiled slyly and tickled her chin with his finger. Sakura quickly slapped his hand away and walked out. Ino followed suit and soon the rest of the table joined them. Sakura growled, stomping out of the eatery. "I can't take him. The only reason he's Director is because he cheated his way to the top."

To become the Director, you need to face the 9 Challenges. It is rumored that Sasuke Uchiha, Leaf Arena's most underhanded fighter, became owner of the arena because he cheated through most of the challenges. The previous Director, "White Fang," gave equal care to all of the fighters; back when this wasn't such a bloodthirsty business. Now, Sasuke only gives premium care to anyone on top. Many of the lower fighters like 'The Black Beatle' and 'Green Giant' don't receive such admiration like Sakura or Kiba. That is why most low-class fighters frown upon Sasuke and the top-rank gladiators.

Ino walked up behind her distressed friend and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, "Calm down, Sakura. I know he's a jerk, but he is kind of cute."

"Don't make me sick." Sakura scoffed. "He's a dirty double-crossing, no-good, pretentious jackass!"

There was a large clang noise and everyone ran to the fight area. There was a second clang and Sakura was startled. Two clangs meant one thing, "New arrival!" Ino shouted. The four friends ran to their special box seats on the second story. All top gladiators had special box seats in the arena; second story, not too high see the fight, but not too low to be hit by collateral damage and debris. As they took their seats a large carriage pulled into the coliseum gates.

Out of the carriage came two guards, carrying a relatively tall man wrapped up in chains. They kept a bag over his head and threw him onto the ground. The pulled the bag off his head and undid the chains, leaving him only in handcuffs. The one guard lifted him into the air and displayed him for the entire crowd to see. Sasuke appeared at his special podium and rang the bell, signaling the match to begin.

"We found this scoundrel outside of Konoha, looking for food scraps in the dumpster. He is being charged for thievery and being a public nuisance," the guard shouted. He threw the man to the ground and pulled out a kunai. "You will die," the guard whispered.

Sasuke cleared his throat, "As judge, jury, and defense; law and order. I declare this man guilty of all crimes."

The guard stabbed down with his knife, but the man rolled right out of the way. He got to his feet and brushed himself off. He was a tall, strapping young man with bright blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes that glistened in the sunlight. He wore a black and orange jacket that was open, revealing a light black t-shirt. He managed to zipper up his jacket and pulled a kunai out of his sleeve. Both guards ran at him, but the blonde jumped over them and stabbed the larger one in the back. As he fell, his partner spun around to face the criminal. The last guard charged with his sword and struck downward, easily breaking the cuffs on the man's wrists. The mysterious newcomer smirked and jumped high into the air. He performed his first, and last, jutsu of the match. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A thousand other identical bodies appeared in the sky. There were so many that they completely blocked out the sun. Immediately, they all began raining down on the final guard. Body after body, they piled up on the poor man until he was absolutely crushed under the pressure. The original stranger fell out of the sky like a shooting star and landed onto the giant pile. With a huge crash and a loud poof, the man stood victorious over the guard's crushed lifeless body. There was a silent murmuring in the crowd, when suddenly they burst out cheering. Sasuke jumped down from his seat and greeted the intriguing newcomer. Needless to say, he was impressed.

Sasuke gave his trademark, devilish smirk and held his hand out to the boy. "If you fight for me, like you fought today, I am willing to clear you all charges and give you a home here at Leaf Arena. What is your name?"

The victor smiled and walked right past Sasuke with his arms behind his head, into the arena mess hall. "Naruto Uzumaki, don't wear it out!"

Sakura's friends observed with interest as well. "He shows potential." Ino noted.

"…" Sakura was silent. Whenever she was silent, she was thinking. He was good, too good. He could show her up and take her spot on the podium. She would have to stay on top. She was, after all a, performer; that was her job.

* * *

**Special Preview  
Original Biographies:**

**Sakura Haruno (Sakura Cherry Blossom) **– Leaf Arena's current strongest fighter. Has currently caught the eye of a certain Director. Is known for her extreme strength, medical jutsu, and use of all sword-type weapons.

**Ino Yamanaka (The Spirit)** – Sakura's closest friend and fellow top contender. She has certain feelings for the current Director. Famous for her mind possession techniques and use of poisons.

**Kiba Inuzuka (Dog-Tag) **– wildest fighter of all the top contenders. Has a crush on Hinata and loves animals. Known for fighting with Akamaru using close range hand-to-hand combat.

**Hinata Hyuuga (Violet) **– extremely shy but well rounded fighter. Cares deeply for Kiba and is a strong believer in justice. Known for her long sword, chakra-disrupting strikes, and 360 degrees of vision.

**Sasuke Uchiha (Director)** – current owner of Leaf Arena and a dirty fighter. Is hated by most of his own fighters. Seeks the hand of Sakura. Known for his infamous mastery of Sharingan.

**Naruto Uzumaki** – a new-comer from off the streets. Shows great potential and is known for his Shadow Clone Jutsu.


	2. Act I: Chapter 2

**Act I:**  
**Welcome to Leaf Arena**

_Chapter 2: Living Romance_

Sakura scowled as she made her way down the winding staircase to the Mess Hall. She knew that street bums were always attracted to food; whether it was in a cafe or a garbage dumpster. Sakura had known this from experience; after all, she grew up on the streets. Her parents were killed in a food fight. A literal food fight that is; one day they were scouring for nutrients and came across a large stockpile of fruits and vegetables. As you can see, taxes skyrocketed to accommodate for the construction of Leaf Arena. Many families, including Sakura's, were put out on the streets because they couldn't pay mortgages. When her family began munching on the bunker of food, they were attacked in plain sight. Her mother was strangled with string beans; her father impaled with a papaya. Some people would find that situation ironic and a tad droll, Sakura didn't. Since then Sakura has had a deep hatred for beggars and any sort of vagabond. Sakura wasn't racist, because homeless wasn't a race. To her, it was a disease that plagued society and all of creation. She was also a bit paranoid.

Sakura opened the rusty double doors and proceeded into the lunch room. It was extremely crowded, it always was after a good match; and Naruto's match was amazing. The new boy was sitting back in the corner, devouring dozens of ramen bowls. Sakura walked over to the new gladiator and loomed over him. His black-orange jacket laid bent over the back of a chair as he slurped down his ninth bowl. He set the bowl down and looked up at Sakura with interest. "You're that girl."

"Excuse me?" Sakura scoffed.

"Y-Yeah, I remember from the market. I tried stealing a banana and you threw me half way across town." He chuckled as he continued his eating.

She remembered, "Listen, you've gained the Director's eye. That means you're his new favorite. I suggest your watch yourself. That's my spot you're in."

Naruto had a puzzled look on his face. He wiped the excess ramen off his mouth onto his arm and looked up at the pink-headed lady screaming at him.

"…From what I hear, you don't like being in the spotlight. The Director seems to disgust you. I wonder why you feel your supremacy is being challenged if you're the best fighter here." He chuckled, "You shouldn't have anything to worry about, if you're as good as everyone says you are." Naruto grabbed his jacket and threw out his ten empty bowls.

"Just don't let all of this success go to your head." Sakura stormed off in a huff leaving Naruto alone in the cafeteria. Naruto soon left; but not before flirting with a certain violet-haired girl sitting by the door on a bench. She was still waiting for her friends whom, which she was unaware of, had already left and happened to be waiting for her. He sat down beside her and Hinata immediately turned red. She ran out as fast as she could, trying to hide her face.

'What is wrong with these people?' He thought to himself, "What did I get myself into?"

* * *

That night Ino had taken on Kiba; unfortunately it wasn't going so well for her. Kiba was far too fast for Ino to pinpoint her Mind-Transfer Jutsu. Whenever she would get a lock on him, Kiba dashed across the field and landed a harsh blow against her side. This was what a Gladiator Match was all about. This special match contained only one round because everyone was betting on Kiba. When Sasuke and the Board of Executives originally planned this match they already knew that Ino was extremely energetic, yet her slow-to-strike jutsu were doomed to fail against Kiba. His jutsu ran circles around her, literally. Ino had no time to perform her Mind-Transfer Jutsu, so she was forced to revert to close-combat; Ino was rather limited in that area. She had only one jutsu that was fast enough to hit him. Ino was wearing down, but so was Kiba. He was using Tunneling Fang in order to dash around the arena at high speeds. She had only one shot, so Ino reached for the small scroll clipped onto her belt. She unraveled it and summoned a small bouquet of purple flowers. Kiba charged toward Ino, still spinning at high speed.

"Is this the end for Ino?" Sasuke shouted annoyingly from the speaker.

Ino jumped at the nick of time and landed behind Kiba. Kiba and Akamaru hit the wall slid onto the ground. Immediately, Ino threw the bouquet at Kiba. He was unaware of Ino's intentions and grabbed the bouquet while still trying to recover. Ino had this in the bag, "Ninja Art, Poison Aroma!" The small, innocent-looking flowers released a deadly neurotoxin into the air. Kiba began coughing and gagging until his windpipe became constricted. Ino walked towards Kiba and stabbed his arm with a large needle. Kiba began breathing again, but fell unconscious.

"The winner is... The Spirit!" The crowd roared, but not as loud as Sakura's crowd roared. Ino lived in Sakura's shadow but, for some reason, she was happy with it. Except for not being Sasuke-kun's eye candy; that she hated. Ino could be described in few words, attractive, boy-crazy, and horny. All of these emotions were constantly put towards Sasuke but he would always ignore her. He held a deep desire for Sakura that she envied. She was still friends with Sakura though. After all it wasn't her fault; in fact she did even want the attention. Did she?

* * *

The next morning, Sakura was preparing for her match when Ino snuck up behind her. She pounced and stuck to Sakura's back. "So Sakura, I hear you were flirting with the new guy the other day."

Sakura was astonished, "Flirting? Who the hell thought that up?" Sakura closed her locker and pulled off her over-exuberant friend. "I wouldn't think of it. You know how I feel about hobos."

Ino rolled her eyes, "Don't be so stereotypical. Especially since this guy is much cuter than any dirty old drifter."

"Anyway, I saw you're match the other day. It was a pretty close call, but I knew you were going to win."

Sakura's praise fell on deaf ears as Ino had once again lost her train of thought. "-And he's so handsome. Those eyes, I love those eyes."

Sakura charged down the hallway towards the arena. "Then you date him!" The morning light blinded Sakura as she exited the tunnel. The crowd went wild when Sakura appeared. They threw roses and presents and various things to help her in her match. The roar of the crowd always made her feel at home. Sasuke stood at his podium and shouted into the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give Sakura, Cherry Blossom of Death. Today is the lunch time special. On our menu today is heaping order of ass-whooping! Sakura will be fighting Lady Violet in a vicious one-on-one Gladiator match!"

Hinata walked out of the other end of the arena. "Let's make this quick, Sakura. I've got business to deal with."

"Likewise." Sakura pulled on her old black gloves.

There were three rounds to a normal Gladiator round. Round one was hand-to-hand combat. Next were weapons, and lastly was an all out grudge match. No one really ever made it to round three since someone usually won the first two. Jutsu was always allowed, but not fatally; unless demanded by the audience, which was often. Sakura dressed in her regular attire instead of her torn red robe. Hinata dressed in a purple and white kimono top and blue silk pants that went down past her ankles. Her stiletto heels were actually replaced with needles.

Sasuke threw down the black flag from his podium. Once the flag hit the ground, the match would commence. Until then, the two warriors were locked in a stare down. This was a face-off between two masters of close combat. As soon as the flag hit the ground, Sakura ran towards Hinata and swung a left hook. Hinata ducked under it and punched Sakura in the stomach. She spun around behind her and hit Sakura in the spine. "Byakugan!" She delivered repeated hits to Sakura's spinal column. With one final blow she hit Sakura at the base of the neck, sending her flying across the arena. After a minute, Sakura tried to stand up. However, she was unable to move as Hinata had paralyzed her. "Damn, why didn't I see this coming?"

Hinata's signature move with her Byakugan was 64 Palms. When she aimed this at the spinal column, you would lose all feeling in your body for about a minute. Sakura had to distract her, until she had control of her movements again. Otherwise Hinata would have a clear victory. Hinata was closing in, cornering Sakura. "So I hear you were flirting with the new guy?" She mumbled. Hinata stopped in her tracks. "W-What?"

Sakura coughed, "Yeah, it looks like you sort of have a thing for him." Still no feeling, every last nerve in Sakura's body was unresponsive. Hinata walked over and kicked Sakura in the side.

"What do you know?" She scowled becoming irritated.

Sakura grunted with every kick, but she wouldn't lose. She flipped onto her back and exhaled. "I wonder what you find so appealing about him. Is it his eyes? Maybe his hair attracts you, or just that well toned body."

As Sakura rambled on about Naruto, Hinata's face had turned a bright red, and her throat was closing up. Sakura could see the beads of sweat rolling down Hinata's face. "-And what about those cute little whisker marks on his face?"

"Shut up!" Hinata cried and went for the final blow. 

Sakura grabbed Hinata's arm in mid-strike and pulled down, effectively breaking the bone with her super strength. Hinata screamed and fell down next to Sakura. After finally recovering, Sakura kneeled on top of Hinata and pulled her broken arm behind her back. "Submit!" Hinata turned her head away. Sakura stood up, reveling in her victory.

"Round one goes to Sakura!" Sasuke shouted gleaming with pride. Hinata moaned as she tried to stand up. Her broken arm gave out and she hit the ground. Sakura grabbed her good arm and pulled her up. Hinata smacked her hand away as tears streamed down her face. "I don't need your charity, Sakura. All I want you to do is stay away from him."

"Round two, begin!" Sasuke shouted, sipping from his sake glass. He snapped his fingers and one of his many man-servants refilled his drink.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura questioned, trying once more to help her onto her feet. She knew they were in a fight, but they were supposed to have been friends.

Hinata swung her arm at Sakura and a dagger extended from in her sleeve, ending a mere inch away from Sakura's face. "Stay away from Naruto!" Hinata thrust her arm forward and just barely stabbed Sakura. Sakura performed a back flip in order to gain distance. She reached into her weapon pouch and pulled several kunai. Sakura threw them, one-after-another, at Hinata. Hinata put her broken arm into a makeshift sling and tied it around her shoulder. She retracted her dagger from her good arm and released a long sword from her sleeve. Hinata clenched the sword so hard that her entire hand went numb. She used her sword to deflect the kunai and send them all flying across the arena.

Sakura dashed over to the weapon stand by the exit. She chose a large kunai attached to a long steel chain, the Kunai Whip-Chain, as it was called; Sakura's personal favorite in the arena. She swung it around by her side then sent it flying across the arena. Using her Byakugan, Hinata increased her reaction time to force the kunai all the way around her body and back towards Sakura. Sakura ducked as the kunai just missed her and pierced the hard rock wall behind her. The chain fell to the ground as Hinata charged with her sword. Sakura grabbed the chain and whipped it, causing the entire chain length to smash into Hinata's bad arm. Hinata tripped over the fluctuating chain and landed hard on the ground. She sat up and wiped the blood from her nose. Quickly she coughed up blood onto the dirt ground. The damage was taking a toll on her and she knew it. Hinata charged one last time and threw her sword into the ground in front of her. Hinata kept running which confused Sakura exceedingly. Hinata jumped onto her sword and used it as a springboard. In mid-air she aimed her stilletto heel at Sakura, ready to kill. Using the same maneuver as before, Sakura grabbed Hinata's leg and slammed her into the wall, leaving quite the indent in the rock. Hinata slid off and rolled onto the dirt.

"Sakura wins round two, match set." Sasuke yelled. The crowd cheered for her as she threw Hinata over her shoulder and carried her back into the locker room. "Hinata, you know I didn't mean what I said right? It was all for show." Sakura healed Hinata's broken arm and broken leg. "Heh," she chuckled. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

"…You also don't know to not play with other people's emotions." Hinata mumbled.

"What are you…"

"I know you were talking to him in the café the other day. Stay away from him.! She had a cold undertone in her voice that replaced her normal meek, shy voice.

"Hinata, I don't like him. I don't like anyone here, not like that." Sakura pleaded.

"Please, I've seen the way you looked at him the first day he came. Don't lie to me." Hinata stood up and limped off to her room. Sakura sighed and made her way back to the cafeteria. There, in the exact same spot as yesterday, was Naruto Uzumaki slurping down ramen as always. She marched over to his table and sat down across from her. He finished his sixth bowl and set it aside, looking over at Sakura.

"Oh Sakura-chan, nice match. That Hinata's really something, but you, your amazing." He was in total awe of her, how sickening.

"Listen, I don't know if I was clear yesterday. You're in my place, I want you gone." She looked into his eyes, his sparkling blue eyes. He stared at her, with a sad look on his face.

"Sorry." He muttered, lowering his head.

Sakura shut her eyes, "How do you do it? How do you get every girl in this whole arena to fall in love with you?"

Naruto looked up and gave his famous goofy smile, "It's a talent I guess."

"Follow me; I want to show you something." Sakura got up and led Naruto down the hall towards the winding staircase. They ascended a few flights of steps and entered a large room lined with dozen of books. There were book shelves upon book shelves scattered throughout the room. Over at a small desk was a _chubby_ boy devouring potato chips like a vacuum cleaner.

"This is the Leaf Arena Library, 6th floor. It's completely off limits except to those who are favored by the current Director. That's the librarian." Sakura said pointing at the man at the desk. She walked Naruto around showing him the different sections. Then she whispered, "He failed the examination."

* * *

_"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."_

-Mother Teresa


	3. Act I: Chapter 3

**Act I:  
Welcome to Leaf Arena**

_Chapter 3: Our History _

Sakura now remembered why she didn't want to bring Naruto up here in the first place. The librarian wasn't used to human contact. He only saw what appeared on the small screen attached to his desk. That's the only way he got to see the matches. Unfortunately, Naruto wouldn't stop asking about this old record book. Sakura never would have thought Naruto would be interested in books, especially ones without large, colorful, pop-up pictures; however, she eventually broke down and agreed. Now here they were staring at what had to be the largest man in the arena, and perhaps the fattest. The large boy look positively startled. He stared over his shoulder at the duo for quite some time before setting down his potato chips and attempting to stand up. After several tries, he gave up and sank into his swivel chair. He hadn't been up and walking in months. He swiveled around and blinked."Oh, Sakura, what are you doing up here?" Choji asked, surprised.

Sakura wrapped her arm around the blonde's shoulder, "I was just showing my friend around and I thought I'd let you fill him in on the Arena."

Naruto was still in a stasis lock. He had never seen someone that, well, big. He was afraid that if he held out his hand to shake, he'd lose a hand. He just stood there shivering in fear.

Choji scratched the back of his head, "He's not very talkative is he?"

Sakura glanced over to Naruto, "That's weird. He usually can't keep his mouth shut; Naruto?"

Naruto had to choose his words carefully, or risk becoming a pancake. One word out of place and Choji would eat Naruto for breakfast, and most likely, he would. "I just would've thought that someone so..." Sakura cringed, Choji frowned.

Naruto cleared his throat, "-Strong, would be down fighting in the arena. Instead you're..."

"Sitting here, getting even fatter by the day. If that's even possible?" Choji sighed, "Let me tell you a story on how Sasuke is a total a-hole. Every so often he loses a fighter or two, whether it is from fighting, disease, or execution. Afterwards, he sends out advertisements for new recruits. Anyone who is will to risk their lives for other's personal enjoyment is welcome to take the Arena Exam. Out of the hundreds that show up, most of them are eliminated in Round 1. The first challenge is to beat one of the current Gladiators. I aced that round, when I fought Black Beatle, but the next round is where it started to go downhill. A written exam was given and I barely passed it. The final challenge is where I screwed up, big time. Of the ten left, we were split into pairs. One of us stole something and the other one was supposed to find our partner and rat them out to The Director. This was a test of loyalty; to the arena, or course, and to The Director himself. Unfortunately, I was paired with Shikimaru Nara. You may know him as The Shadow."

Sakura opened his eyes wide, "You mean _The_ Shadow? He won the championship last year, became a top Gladiator, and then just disappeared into thin air."

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, he was so damn lazy that he refused to steal anything. He said he was in the competition, quote, 'Because I lost a bet.' How could I rat him out if he didn't bother to steal anything. So I stole Sasuke's eyeliner and said Shikimaru took it. Because the other teams failed we were the only ones left. However, Sasuke had, I mean, has a spy in the Arena and told him that I stole the eyeliner. I was going to be kicked out. Because I tried to get Shikimaru in, he vouched for me and said that he wouldn't come unless I came too. Since Sasuke went through all the trouble set up the recruitment, Shikimaru knew that he wouldn't walk away empty handed. So Shikimaru went on to be champion and, as punishment, I had to wait a year before I became an official fighter."

Naruto was over at a bookshelf, looking through some old books and trying to avoid eye contact. "So why didn't you retake the exam?"

Choji shook his head and plopped back down in his seat. "Every time Sasuke sends out a recruitment listing, he piles me up with paper work. He knows that I can't read very fast and it takes me a week just to finish a whole stack of papers. By then I missed the date line and he has two new fighters. I wasn't always this fat; it used to be all muscle. Now it's like I'm thirteen again."

He spun back around to the desk and read over some files. He noticed Naruto rummaging through random records. "If you guys are looking for all of the records, try aisle four." He sounded as if he was about to break down crying. Naruto and Sakura quickly dashed over to the books before they had to deal with that mess.

Sakura looked around then grabbed a big black book off the bottom shelf, "Here Naruto, these are the old history records. I don't know why you'd want them, but here they are." She began reading off the first page.

* * *

_Back in old times, The Hidden Leaf was a simple shinobi village. They had their own leader, the powerful Hokage, but that all changed when Orochimaru's village was disbanded. All of his followers pursued their own lives of crime; this lead to a buildup in prisons. At the Kages' official meeting, held about a month after the dismemberment, someone suggested a new way to dispose of criminals. That's how Leaf Arena began, in fact, that's how all of the Arenas began. There was no physical room left in the Leaf Village, so the built up on what was once the official stadium used for the Chunin Exams. They built two extra stories to hold prisoners. That obviously didn't work because they ended up building several more. Then it all collapsed; the historic stadium was buried under a dozen tons of rubble. It took them a year to clear it, and another year to rebuild. They inevitably created the Leaf Arena of today. That still wasn't enough, for the criminals kept getting backed up. Eventually, they proposed Plan G. Some of the best shinobi were handpicked to begin killing criminals. Soon enough, this even attracted a crowd, so the villages built seats. The people of Konoha viewed it as simple entertainment, mainly because they didn't realize how many shinobi lost their lives in the arena to vicious murderers. This continued for a while until it got a little out of control. The Hokage was too busy, so they appointed the top Jonin at the time; Kakashi Hatake. He kept everything in line and in order. After a few years he passed it on to the new Fifth Hokage. Then she got too busy and gave the job back. For a while Kakashi, 'The White Fang,' ruled the Arena with a just hand. Then, in a hostile takeover, Kakashi was pulled from the throne and disappeared from existence. Since then, Director Sasuke Uchiha controlled the arena and everything in it. Within a period of two years, the noble shinobi of the Hidden Villages became ruthless bloodthirsty Gladiators. Then the rest of the Arenas shut down, leaving only the Leaf Arena. However, many of the Gladiators of the last arena began disappearing, starting with The Scar and The Shadow. It is said that the missing ninja are..._

* * *

"Wait, there's a few pages missing. That's weird, huh Naruto." No response.

"Naruto?" She looked over at her friend on the opposite end of the room, looking through some rather interesting books. Her jaw-dropped, "Are you even old enough for those kinds of books?"

"Huh?" Naruto was startled and jumped up immediately. He hastily shoved the book back onto the shelf, which caused the whole row to collapse.

Choji suddenly announced, on his own personal intercom, "Clean up on aisle four."

* * *

That night, when everyone else in the Arena was asleep, Sakura snuck up to the 7th floor. Little is known about the 7th floor besides that it is the private residence of Director Sasuke, it is the second highest floor in the Arena, and no one is allowed up there. However Sasuke, often enough, invited Sakura up to visit anytime. She figured now was as a good time as any to take a look around. Sakura thought that Sasuke might have the missing part of the book. Everyone knew Sakura was paranoid, but she had good reason. There must have been something in that history book that Sasuke didn't want anyone, even Sakura, seeing.

Sakura put on her black gloves and a black sweater over her bright pink outfit. If she's learnt anything from Naruto, is that bright colors are not good for sneaking. Sakura read her map of the entire Arena.

**Arena Exterior Key:**

Basement - Arena entrance  
1st floor – Café/ Corridors  
2nd floor - Residential Suites  
3rd floor - Elite Housing  
4th floor - Rec Room  
5th floor - Stairway to Terrace  
6th floor - Library  
7th floor - Director's Office  
8th floor - Restricted Access

Sakura examined the map thoroughly, for she would not be able to stop once she began. She stuffed the map into her back pocket and began her ascent. The stairway was not well lit above the Elite Housing on the 3rd floor. Sakura did not dare to bring a light, lest she be caught sneaking around after hours. Sakura was never up past the Library. The Director's office was as far as even she was allowed. The 8th floor was completely restricted. There wasn't even a door there, the wall just ended. Only Sasuke knew how to get in, not that Sakura cared.

It was a long way up from the lower levels to the 7th floor, especially since the lift was still under construction. Sakura had to quick, but she also had to be quite. She didn't want Sasuke waking up until she had at least had a good search of his quarters. His large steel door was unlocked only by her and Sasuke's key. Even if he did wake up, he might know it was her right away and go back to bed; Sakura didn't count on it. She snuck in and scanned the area. It was hard to see in the dark, but Sakura had learnt a special technique during her time at the arena. By focusing her chakra to her eyes, she was able to get a rough estimate of all of the larger objects in the room; this was especially useful during nighttime fights. She noticed a heat signature coming from the upstairs room and found Sasuke sleeping in his white robe in his recliner chair, in front of a large fireplace; right between her and his desk. He was crafty, but she was better.

* * *

Kiba stood on the edge of the abyss. It was a long way down, from where he was standing. The terrace was restricted to the elite only. The entrance was on the 5th floor, but the staircase went outside and all the way up to the seventh story. It was exceptionally large terrace, perfect for the night time. Akamaru was tucked into bed, so Kiba was out alone in just his black shirt and pants. There was a full moon out that night; Kiba always felt relaxed starring into the night sky. It was so dark out, that you'd have to right next to him just to notice he was there. That's exactly where Hinata was that night. She walked up to him and leaned against the railing with him. Kiba looked over at her and smiled, "Hey, what are you doing out here?" He asked.

She looked up, "I was looking for you, all over." Hinata smiled back, "I wanted to talk."

The both of them looked up and tried counting the stars, they stopped around twenty. Underneath them was a large amount of foliage, giving the outside a sort of woodsy look. Gladiators didn't normally leave the arena because they never needed anything. Any sort of food or supplies was imported and could be bought on the 1st floor. Sometimes Kiba felt trapped within the walls. He never understood how his sister could do it all of her life. He's been here for two, three, years and he was growing tired of it. Kiba was an outdoorsy kind of guy and never liked to stay in one place for too long. One time he ran off for about a week, just to get away. Fortunately, he snuck back in just before Sasuke's guards could catch him. Kiba only stayed because of his friends, that and Hinata needed to be taken care of.

Hinata joined the arena just before her cousin, Neji, became a top fighter. Sasuke instantly accepted her only because she was related to Neji; he was unaware of her skills, or lack thereof. At first, Hinata was weaker than anyone could possibly be. Even the simplest of matches, would leave her bruised and bleeding. However, that all changed when Neji disappeared. Some gladiators had already been missing, and Neji was worried more for her safety than his own; something he didn't normally do, but this was an exception. It was a week after he warned her to be on her guard, that he vanished. Since then, Hinata had worked extra hard to become one of the top Gladiators. She was strong, vigilant, and vicious; but when Naruto came along, her impenetrable psyche just collapsed. She had seen him around the village when they were younger, then he left just before the Arena's were constructed. She had such a huge crush on him, but she never told him. Just as she had gathered up enough courage to tell him, he left through the front gates. Since then Hinata had bottled up all of her feelings and converted them into pure emotion, which she used against her opponents in the Arena.

However, Hinata had recently begun to feel the effects of her actions; especially around Kiba, whom she had grown up with and trained with under Kurenai-sensei, whom was long gone. She always felt that Shino held some contempt towards them, considering he was the only one from their old team who did not rise in rank. After all of the time the two spent together, she had begun to develop feelings for Kiba. It was like they really connected, they worked well together.

Unfortunately, Kiba was unsure Hinata like him the same way he did. He was madly in love with her, but she was far too focused on Naruto. Whenever he was near her, his heart would skip a beat. Kiba thought of her often, she even tended to distract him. These feelings were growing more intense within him every day. If only she knew how he really felt.

"Hinata?" He asked, timidly.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"…How do you feel?" He said, unable to finish his thoughts.

"Alright, I guess. The sky is so beautiful tonight. It's sort of romantic, I guess."

"Uhh… yeah. I see what you mean." His mouth felt like the Sahara. There was a short-lived silence between the two. "I meant how do you feel about… us? I mean if there is an 'us' because I…" Kiba stammered.

Hinata looked over at him and smiled, she put her hand on top of his, "Well, Kiba, how do you feel." Her hands felt clammy.

Kiba looked down, 'How am I supposed to answer this?' He could already feel his throat closing, "Oh, I… I don't…"

Suddenly Hinata leaned in and planted her lips right on top of his. The two stayed there for what seemed to be an eternity, locked in their delicate struggle. Of course they had kissed before, when they were much younger, and before this whole Gladiator thing. They expected themselves to be a bit rusty, but as soon as their lips met something just clicked. It was as if they've been kissing for years. After awhile, their lips parted and they stared back at each other; as if they were lost in each other's eyes.

They returned to their stargazing. Hinata sighed, just before departing, "I feel pretty great."

* * *

Sakura now channeled her chakra to her feet, silencing her movements. There was a large red rug in the center of the room, which also helped. The fireplace burned brightly as she passed by, lighting the room just enough that Sakura could see where she was going. There was a distance of about 14 feet between the doorway and Sasuke's desk, Sakura was nearly 6 feet away from her target. The only thing that stood in her way was Sasuke who, hopefully, was too tired to notice her coming. Sakura didn't count on it.

She crept closer and closer until she was right on top of Sasuke. She thought about killing him, but then someone would have to answer for it. Sakura wasn't in the mood to be political. She slowly made her way around his large recliner chair. It was a tight squeeze between Sasuke's chair and his desk, but Sakura fit just enough to open the doors. She quietly rummaged through the various items in his desk, including pens, paper, a couple of keys, and a pack of tissues. There were no documents lodged in the back off the desk. 'Where is he hiding this stuff?'

Sakura looked under the desk and noticed a small filing cabinent in the back corner. She knelt down and opened the top drawer which contained dossiers of many of the Gladiators. Then she opened the bottom cabinent and found only a small folder with a written message on it. The ink was still fresh, so it must have been pretty recent.

_Director Uchiha,_

_We regret to inform you that The Board has denied your request for a formal council meeting on the issue of transferring your accounts. We did however agree to a meeting on the matter of _________________________________. In exchange _______________________________ and the money will be transferred to your account._

_The Board _

_P.S. Don't try to go over our heads; there is no over our heads. _

_P.S.S. Remember, you are replaceable._

Some of the ink was smudged and illegible. Underneath was another folder marked, Hidden Documents. The folder was empty, but the binding was bent. It was as if someone had already taken the documents. Sakura placed the folders back into the cabinet, but slammed the drawer too hard. Sakura snuck out from between the chair and stood face to face with Sasuke.

"…Sakura?" Sasuke asked, yawning. "Do you realize what time it is?"

Sakura was in a bind, there was no way out. The only exit was in the back room and there's no way he'd let her out now; not unless he got what he wanted. Sakura had hoped that it would not come to this, but she was prepared. It's a good thing she no longer had morals. She was also a rather good actress.

Sakura pouted her lips, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." She put her hands behind her back to close the drawers. "I was just so lonely." Sakura began walking past him when he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to face him. This startled her.

Sasuke chuckled, "Well, how nice of you to come visit me." He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in for a kiss. Sakura was growing very tired of being manhandled. She tried wriggling her way out of his arms, but he was too strong. Sakura didn't dare try to harm him, or else he might never let her back into his office. Sasuke grinned, "Oh, you're a feisty one." Sakura saw now way out of this, so she decided to take advantage of the situation. She pulled away from Sasuke and let out the shrillest giggle she could possibly muster. Sakura was the farthest thing from a shrieking, hysterical girl possible.

"Not so fast, now" Sakura whispered into his ear. Sakura had to do what she had to do; but if she had to do it, she was going to do it her way. Sakura forced a smile as she reached around and undid her bra. Her jacket was lying on the floor, along with her shirt. Sasuke undid his robe. Sakura pulled off Sasuke's shirt and the two rubbed their bodies against each other. Sasuke was about to lose it; Sakura was about to lose her dinner. If Sakura could distract him enough, she could make her escape.

Sakura placed her hand on Sasuke's chest and felt his cold, clammy skin beneath her fingertips. She slid her hand down to stomach and felt his rock hard abs; he was not one to be messed with. Even Sakura would have a hard time beating him in a fair fight, not that Sasuke would ever fight fair. Sakura's hand went lower and lower until…

"Sakura," He sighed. "Don't be such a tease!"

Sakura laid a small kiss on his cheek, "You wouldn't happen to have, say, some missing pages to some old books would you?" She asked, while caressing his tender nipples with her free hand.

Sasuke licked his lips, "As a matter of fact, I did. But they somehow got misplaced, which is strange because I never took them out of my files." Sasuke kissed Sakura's neck. "I was doing some paperwork, just before I went to bed, when I noticed they were missing." Sasuke looked at her intriguingly, "Why?"

She giggled, "Oh, no reason."

Sakura swallowed her pride, knowing that she may never live this down; Sasuke certainly wouldn't let this go. 'She snuck into the Director's room just to jerk him off,' will really sound great among her friends, especially Naruto. Sakura was just millimeters away from Sasuke's erection, separated only by a thin layer of cloth. Sasuke was tenting and Sakura finally had him distracted enough to make her escape. Sakura breathed in, "Close your eyes, I've got a surprise for you." Sasuke complied. Quickly, Sakura dropped Sasuke's pants and pushed him away, causing him to land back on his recliner, hard. "Whoa, Sakura, easy now!"

Sakura, promptly, ran towards the opposite end of the room and dived through the window. The glass shattered on impact, leaving Sakura with some minor scrapes. When Sasuke had finally opened his eyes, she was gone; leaving him with a broken window and a dwindling erection. "Hmph, talk about overreacting." He muttered.

It wasn't until she was outside that she realized she was topless. She was falling from an eight story window with nothing covering her breasts. The room must have been up higher than she thought. She stabilized herself in mid-air, using chakra to soften the landing. She landed on the terrace below; right in front of Kiba and Hinata.

"…" Kiba was at a loss of words. He also couldn't stop staring.

Hinata blinked, "Sakura, w-where are your clothes?"

Sakura quickly covered herself up, "Crap. Sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"S-Sort of," Kiba stammered.

Sakura ran back to the stairwell and down to her room on the 3rd floor. Hinata looked over at Kiba, who was still awe-struck. She looked down and suddenly smacked him upside the head. She walked off, leaving Kiba alone. "What did I do?" Kiba looked down at himself, "Oh, shit."

* * *

"I know love and lust don't always keep the same company."

-Stephenie Meyer


	4. Act I: Chapter 4

**Act: I  
Welcome to Leaf Arena**

_Chapter 4: Those Little Things Called Emotions_

Sakura and Naruto spent the next morning together, picking up the rest of the books; all 5,000 of them. If just one book was out of place, the entire shelf would collapse. Sakura sighed as she bent down to pick up another book, still exhausted from last night's escapade. It slipped out of her hand and hit the floor releasing a cloud of ancient dust. She coughed and hacked as the dirt rose up into the air. Sakura reached down to grab the dirty old book, at the exact same time Naruto did. Their hands met for the first time. The two looked at each other, slightly embarrassed. Naruto smiled as he grabbed the book out from under her hand. Sakura quickly retracted her arm. Utterly humiliated, Sakura jumped up and walked the other way. Naruto simply shrugged and put the book back on the shelf.

Sakura bashed her fist against the wall. Why was she feeling like this? Naruto was just some guy who got lucky and was plucked off the street. He was too young and too immature to understand what she and all of her friends did everyday; how often they risked their lives. Naruto was fresh meat and that's all he was. He was just another person getting in the way of her dreams of fame and glory... right? He couldn't be anything special, he's just another guy who'll get viciously beaten on a daily basis. Right?

"Sakura?"

Sakura was deep in thought and was easily startled by Naruto. She was so startled, in fact, that she jumped back and fell against another book case, which hit another bookcase; and another and another. This was known as the domino effect.

Choji rolled his eyes, "Clean up on aisles five through eight. C'mon Sakura, watch where you're going" He returned to his paperwork.

"Damn it, Naruto!" Sakura screamed, clenching her jaw.

Naruto leaned against the wall and slid down onto the floor. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"Listen Naruto," Sakura let out a deep sigh. "Why don't you just… Go get lunch, or something." Sakura took pity on Naruto, considering how she had acted towards him. "I'll take care of the rest."

"Oh… thanks!" Naruto's spirits lifted instantly. He ran as fast as he could the cafeteria. Unfortunately, Sasuke was waiting there with a handwritten sign limiting two cups of ramen per day. Naruto practically flew down the stairs, only to trip on the bottom step and fall flat on his face. "Crap," He groaned, wiping blood from his nose.

"Naruto!" The blonde looked up and stared at the young lady before him. She had long blonde hair and wore a black t-shirt under a dark purple cardigan. Her skirt ended just above her knees. "Uhh…" He was once again at a loss for words. She grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him up off the floor.

"We haven't been formally introduced, have we?" She smiled. "I'm Ino. Ino Yamanaka."

"Naruto." He said.

Ino smirked, "Oh I know who you are, Naruto. You're the talk of the town, well, arena. Everyone is asking about who you are and when your next big fight is. I hear you're scheduled to fight one of the lower level gladiators tomorrow.

"When did this happen?"

Ino shrugged, "Listen, I'm going to go get lunch. You want to come?" She grabbed his hand and literally dragged him down the hall.

"OK?" Naruto was unsure about this girl. He had seen her fight, so he didn't want to get on her bad side. However, Naruto wasn't sure she had a good side, either. He didn't realize at the time that Ino had purposely tripped him to gain his attention, or that she had actually been the one who signed him up for the lower class fight. When Naruto arrived in the arena, something in Ino's head clicked. The results of Ino's actions would be catastrophic, but neither of them knew it at the time. Nor did Hinata, as she watched them from behind closed doors.

"Ino?" Hinata let out a deep sigh, "I really didn't want to involve you." Hinata continued to sharpen her blades; blades that she wasn't necessarily supposed to have. "But if you try to get involved with Naruto," Hinata threw a kunai at her door. "You leave me no choice." Hinata thought back to the aftermath of Sakura's fight. What did attract her to Naruto? Was it his eyes, his hair? All of it really, but what really stuck in her mind was his ever-present smile.

A smile that her, now presumed dead, cousin consistently lacked. It was like his face was always glued in one position. He would often ramble on about destiny and how he was doomed to fail. That was, of course, before he became arena champion. Then he turned over a new leaf and became a gentler, kinder person. He was more caring and became extremely protective of his cousin, Hinata. That's when he had that smile; that was the only time he had that smile. Unfortunately, his reign as champion was short lived as he suddenly disappeared over night; he was never heard from again. He was called 'Vortex' because his signature, 64 Palms Rotation. His chakra could expand over dozens of feet and repel any sort of attack. Naruto was the only thing she had left to remind her of him. Not to mention that he was exceedingly cute. Hinata returned to sharpening her concealed weapons. She was growing tired of everyone playing tug-o-war with Naruto. She was going to put a stop to all of it and claim what was rightfully hers. Hinata looked behind her shoulder into the dark corner of her room. "You know what to do."

Out stepped a tall figure from within the shadows, "...It will be done."

* * *

Sakura had finally finished stacking the books and returned to her room. It was already seven o'clock and it was dinner time in the café. She strapped on a fresh bra, her white mini, and a pink blouse. She put her dirty clothes in the hamper and glanced over at the dusty old box by her bedside. She knelt down and unlocked the trunk. Inside was an old scroll, containing many of her technique secrets, and an old, faded, photo of her and her parents. There was also a small box that remained unopened to this very day; a box that very near and dear to her heart.

Before Sasuke's rule as Director, the arena was controlled by the man dubbed, The White Knight. She trained under him ever since he found her lying in the gutters. He taught her everything she knows. She lived with him until the Arena was built, then they moved. However, he soon realized that all of the arenas were falling apart. A week before his disappearance and Sasuke's rise to power, he gave Sakura the small box for safe keeping. "Keep this safe until I return."

It had been four years since he left and he had yet to return. There was something in that box that he knew was important. Maybe she would open the box someday, but not today. Hopefully, Naruto had returned for dinner. Just as she closed her dresser drawer she heard a faint click and, within a second, someone had a knife to her throat. He grabbed her arms and held them against her back. Sakura couldn't turn her head far enough to get a good look at him. She only saw herself and part of his hair in the mirror in front of her. He was hiding behind her. "Who are you?" She whispered.

"...Head this warning" He said in a seemingly emotionless voice. Sakura's neck tensed.

"This seems more like a threat to me." Sakura's eyes darted across the room, looking for a way out. "Was it Sasuke that put you up to this?"

The assassin tightened his grip around her arm, "...Stay away from Naruto." Sakura was in a bind.

"..." Sakura was confused, unsure of how to handle this life-threatening situation. "What about Naruto?" One wrong move, no, one wrong word and this assassin would have her head; literally. Sakura could've easily killed him, if she wasn't in this hostage situation. Sakura regretted that she lacked any real explosive jutsu. She had close combat, but nothing close enough. Sakura couldn't move a muscle. "Why is Naruto so special?" She asked trying to pry out any information she could. He said nothing. Sakura was beginning to break a sweat. Mistake number one. "Well," She tried to swallow, "What now?"

"I need an answer." He muttered, "Then I will leave." An answer? He wanted an answer, Sakura thought. "To what?" She replied snidely, another mistake. The man slid his blade gently against her throat, drawing first blood. She tried to regulate her breathing, to no avail. Sakura was never in this situation before, nor was she prepared for it. Every battle was in an arena, with weapons and space to move. She would outwit them, out maneuver them, and push them deeper and deeper into submission with her impeccable strength. However, Sakura now realized, maybe she was not strong enough. "Leave...Naruto...alone" He whispered. Sakura clenched her jaw, "No."

"Hmph, you were warned." He said in his cold distant voice. He brought his blade closer and closer to her neck until it was right on top of the jugular. She could feel the ice cold blade against her throat. "...Sakura, it's nothing personal." Sakura closed her eyes and tried to recollect herself deep insider her own subconscious; finding her happy place.

* * *

"I wonder why Naruto had to leave so early?" Ino said to herself, stirring her tea.

"Ino Yamanaka," came voice was rather calm, yet had an underlying tone of 'going to kill you.' Hinata sliced through the door with a curved long sword; her second favorite sword, Dragon Tail. For this fight, Hinata was wearing normal sandals instead of her vicious stilettos. These blue sandals, however, contained to hidden daggers in the soles. She was wearing a violet silk miniskirt and long-sleeved ivory kimono top. She must have had time on her hands because her once all blue-violet hair now had a black streak down the left side. Hinata stood at the door way scanning the room for her target. Many of the other Gladiators stared over at her, ready to leave a moment's notice. It was far too crowded to find anyone in particular, so she had to clear the room. There was a large panoramic, stain glass window on the left side of the building. Out of her sleeve she threw three sets of shuriken, breaking the glass and releasing fierce gusts of wind into the room. Food was flying, trays were falling, and lower level Gladiators were running for the door. Ino was stunned.

Hinata flashed her blade, which she so happened to steal from the armory. "Hinata, what are you doing? I thought we were friends!" Ino cried.

"Why are you acting like this, he means nothing to you! He's just arm-candy you only want so no one else can have!"Hinata shouted, racing towards Ino with her sword. She swung and Ino clasped her hands over the blade; it cut her just a bit, but it was worth it to steal the blade and throw it to the ground. It was now a fair fight, almost. Ino flipped a lunch table and prepared to use her Mind-Destruction Jutsu. With her Byakugan, Hinata could easily track Ino's attack and dodge it. She landed hard on her feet, which released the daggers in her shoes. Hinata vaulted over the make-shift defense and kicked Ino, her shoe-blade slicing down her arm. Ino retreated to the other side of the room and threw several shrunken Hinata's way. Hinata, being the visually gifted girl that she was, predicted Ino's moves before she actually made them. Hinata broke off a table leg and threw it at Ino.

Hard.

* * *

The sun was beating down against me and the heat was intolerable. I felt sweat run down my back. All I had on was my blood-stained ivory skirt. The upper part of my outfit was, in fact, cut off. The crowd was extra loud today, considering my breasts were showing. I couldn't believe I was having so much trouble with a couple dozen foreign ninjas. They broke in last night and were causing trouble. The Director told me to teach them a lesson. Unfortunately, I was the one getting schooled. Did I just make a joke? Shit, that was unintended. I hate that. When things happen that you didn't mean to happen. Like when you get stabbed by not watching where you're running. I jumped off the back wall and charged at their leader. I didn't notice the several others in between us. It was the heat, I think. I was so focused to killing the leader for making those sexual remarks. How stupid is that for me to hold a grudge against someone for calling me flat-chested? Flat-chested...I'll rip off his balls and feed them to him. Then he'll be flat-crotched. Damn it was that a joke? Again? Sigh. I had several kunai sticking out of me. I spared no time trying to heal myself. Not with six other opponents to take care of. I'm a gladiator damn it! I jumped off the rear wall again and got as high into the air as I could with my chakra. I could almost touch the ceiling of the arena. Yeah, this was back when we had a ceiling. I 'accidentally' put a hole in it, so The Director took it down. He joked that I would hit my head off it. I actually did once...I miss him. Anyway, I spread my arms out to my sides and brought my legs together like a cross. I focused whatever chakra I had left to my legs, in a last ditch attempt to not break something...else. I was about fifty-some feet in the air. You'd be surprised how high I can jump, even without my chakra. Like I was saying I focused whatever chakra I had left into my legs. I was going to kill every last one of them at once.

Unfortunately, my chakra wasn't focused enough. I swear it was the heat. "I'm going to kill you...all of you! Red Angel...Gravi-Blossom!"

The causes of that attack include the irritating feeling of sweat down my panties, the fact that I was losing to a bunch of homegrown degenerates, and pure uncontrolled rage. The results of, what is now infamously known as The Red Angel, were two fractured femurs, a complete reconstruction of the first floor house seats, a brand new arena floor considering I broke it into a dozen fractured little pieces, and...a hundred casualties, not including those I was fighting. I swore I would never break a sweat aging during battle, things become too unpredictable. Things happen that you didn't mean to happen.

Well I swore, doesn't mean I promised.

_...I didn't break a promise, I guess. _

"Sakura!" A loud yell came from outside her door. Sakura's eyes shot open. "Stay out!" She cried. The door swung open and Sakura got a glimpse of the assassin turning around. The man pulled his arm back from Sakura's neck, "Ninja Art, Ink Seeker Bullets." Sakura pulled out of his grasp. She grabbed his arm and threw him over her shoulder and into the brick wall. She looked down at her friend, lying in a pool of his own blood.

"...No!"

* * *

_Things happen that you didn't mean to happen._

_-_Sakura Cherry Blossom


	5. Act I: Chapter 5

**Act 1:  
Welcome to Leaf Arena**

_Chapter 5: Mercy…_

**"Get him an IV and I need 30 cc's of anesthesia, stat!"**

**"I need that O.R. prepped. We have to perform surgery."**

**"He's lost a lot of blood, a few thousand milliliters. We're going to need a blood transfusion, B positive."**

**"Why is that O.R. not prepped? This woman is dying."**

**"So is he!"**

**"Well she's hotter." **

**"What is wrong with you?"**

**"I'm tired, annoyed, and in pain because I didn't get my meds yet!"**

**"Damn it, now he's flat lined! Nice job, _doctor_."**

**"Well FYI, she just went into cardiac arrest. At least when I rip her shirt off, I'll have something to look at. Clear!"**

**"Do not give me that attitude. Alright, he's stable. Get him to a room and prepare the blood transfusions."**

**"Yeah, well she's not. Get out of my way; I'll clear the operating table myself!"**

**"Hey, where are you going? Bring her back here!"**

**"Make me!"**

_I fucking hate hospitals._

* * *

Sakura sat in the waiting room of the 3rd floor Elite Housing: Hospital Wing. Being the elite Gladiators they were, Sakura and her close knit group of friends couldn't be down for long. Normally, if you were injured, you would wait until you heal and then get back into the action. If you're elite you receive special care from doctors, imported from all over the world.

That didn't make anything better for Sakura. She had already had her fair share of hospitals. Years ago when she attempted The Red Angel, Sakura was out of commission for almost a year. It was because of this that the previous Director built the hospital wing. It was also the reason behind Sakura learning medical jutsu. It wasn't until Sasuke came along that the wing was sealed off to the public. Now it was exclusively for the Elite and only in dire emergencies. IE: Near fatalities and out-of-combat injuries. Sakura sat on the edge of her seat, worried sick about her friend. She hadn't really got to know him until recently.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" Hinata opened the double door and walked into the room. She sat in the black leather chair, across the room from Sakura's red leather couch. Sasuke had a thing for leather.

"What do you want, Hinata?" Sakura has with a scowl. "I know what you did to Ino."

Hinata scoffed, "She was all over Naruto. What was I supposed to do?"

"She could have died! Impaled with a wooden stick, God! What the hell is wrong with you?" Sakura let out a big sigh, "Y'know what I'm not getting into this. If she likes Naruto too, well then, that's your problem."

Hinata shook her head, "Don't you sit there and tell me you have no feelings for Naruto. I saw the way you looked him in the library. He is rather dashing isn't he?"

"That's a matter of opinion. I think…you saw us in the library?" She squinted her eyes at Hinata. She let out a light chuckle and walked over to Sakura.

"Listen, I personally attacked Ino because I thought she was a threat. However, Naruto had already left by the time I arrive. You, however, I don't think I have any problems with. Well, not anymore. You are not at all, in any way whatsoever, a threat to me. I wouldn't waste my time with you."

Sakura clenched her hand into a fist, "That's funny, because earlier today I was almost killed by a _man_ who threatened to waste me if I got close to Naruto. Is _he_ a threat to you?"

Hinata cleared her throat, "I doubt I've ever seen him before."

"Hinata…" Sakura could feel her rage subside. "I almost lost two very dear friends today. I'm not going to argue with you. We may be the farthest things from friends right now, but can't we just call it a day."

"…Why are you here?"

"You didn't hear? Like I was saying, I was attacked in my room earlier. I had a knife to my throat when my door swung open and he walked in. The guy turned around and…" Sakura put her hand on Hinata's shoulder. Hinata was taken back by this. "There was nothing I could do. He was fast, and I mean fast. He pulled this jutsu out of nowhere. I've never seen anything like it. I'm sorry; I know how much he means to you."

"W-What?" Hinata eyes were wide open.

"This guy threw his knife and it just sort of split into six others. Then they sort of changed shape into little round bullets. I couldn't stop it. It was pretty weird…actually."

"…W-What did this guy look like."

"Hinata, I couldn't get a good look at him! Ok? I threw him against and ran over to try to help the guy bleeding out on the floor. He had black hair and a short blade. He must have been pretty skinny to be able to hide behind me and barely show up on a mirror" Sakura sighed. "Hinata I'm…"

Hinata bolted out of the room and ran down the halls, swiftly evading the oncoming doctors and gurneys, 'Room 169.' She remembered from following Sakura. Hinata smashed through the glass doors and stared down at the hospital bed. She fell onto her knees at his bedside. He was currently in a mild coma, a GCS of 9. "God no…" Hinata kept saying to herself.

* * *

"Director's office, please hold. Director's office, please hold. Director's office…oh hello sir. Yes right away. Mr. Director, sir you're wanted in the board room. Director's office how may I help you?" This is Shizune.

"Thank you, Shizune." Sasuke said as he ascended the stairwell. "Have my coffee ready when I come back. And reschedule that meeting with the promotion committee."

"Yes sir!" This was Shizune's new job. When she arrived in the village two days ago, Sasuke saw a very interesting opportunity. Shizune worked as a secretary, accountant, personal assistant, personal medic, infect she did just about everything for Sasuke. Everything. Shizune's dream is to participate in the arena, but she still needed a job. After all level one fighters don't get paid. This internship didn't pay either, but at least she had benefits. The Arena Exams weren't till next month, so she was killing time.

Sasuke continued up the staircase until he reached what appeared to be the end of the stairway. He stood in front of a large brick wall and stared at it with his Sharingan. He looked all over the wall until he found a small tag in the top left corner. Sasuke removed the tag and quickly performed the required hand signs; otherwise the wall would, quote, 'explode.' Sasuke didn't understand how a wall could explode, but he didn't take threats from The Board lightly. That's why, when The Board says to jump, Sasuke says "just don't kill me".

"Just don't kill me!" Sasuke yelled while his arms were being tied behind his back. The blonde tightened the rope and smacked Sasuke in the back of the head.

"Get over it," he retorted.

Sasuke sat, tied to a rather uncomfortable chair, in front of the entire Board. A little known fact is that the Director may run the Arena, and he may control the Gladiators' very existence, but he does not own Leaf Arena. He cannot buy or sell; otherwise he would have sold this arena for scrap. All major decisions were run through The Board members, all ten of them. The Board members were seated at a long table, elevated about ten feet off the ground. It seemed to resemble the Supreme Court Justices table, which Sasuke thought was a bit ironic; not that he would say anything about it. There was a podium right in front of Sasuke which was more on his level.

"Order!" said the chairman as he shuffled through papers, "Our Representative of Psychology will speak first, followed by our Representative of Life & Death, ending with our Representative of Construction."

The man with raven hair stood up and walked over to the podium. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Sasuke?" Sasuke did not respond. "Well then, I'm here to talk about mental well-being of your gladiators."

"…Or lack thereof." Sasuke smirked.

"Yes well, you seem to have five elite Gladiators in your possession don't you?"

Sasuke sighed, "Sakura Cherry Blossom, The Spirit, Dog-Tag, Violet, and…"

The Representative leaned in closer, "And?"

"He hasn't picked a name yet." Sasuke admitted, meekly.

The man at the podium smirked, "That's a shame isn't it. How will he ever fight tomorrow, who was he supposed to again?"

"Lower level Gladiator, Black Beetle."

"Wrong!" The man shouted. "Our Representative of Life & Death has chosen a new opponent. She's a high level kunoichi, one who specializes in Genjutsu. She has returned here after a few years of meditation. It seems when the Arena was first built, her lover was killed during battle. However, she has decided to come back and see what has become of the Gladiators."

The man threw the file in Sasuke's lap. He looked at her statistics page, "Huh, I haven't seen her in a while…why did you chose her? He'll never win against her, she was a Jounin."

"Exactly," Said the Chairman. "Please continue."

The Representative grabbed the papers back, "Now let's talk about your fighters. Start with Sakura."

Sasuke sighed, "Sakura was here since the Arena was first built. Before that she lived on the streets. Her mentor was the first Director and my predecessor. When the Arena was built almost four years ago, Sakura at first refused to fight. He didn't force her too, but as soon as she got a taste of the action she wanted more. She was the first elite Gladiator. Soon afterwards, I took my rightful place after The White Fang disappeared. She still has a bit of resentment towards me, blaming me for him disappearing. I rid of some of the old elite because of their loyalty to The White Fang. However, I kept Sakura because right before my rise to power, I saw The Red Angel. I knew she would become one of the greatest Gladiators in history."

"I see, tell me about The Red Angel."

"I don't know much, but it sort of wrecked the first floor of the arena. It was right after the reconstruction, so it sort of pissed people off. She won't use it again, even though it is quite literally a show stopper. She has too much control over her emotions now; I don't even think she could pull it off. It requires undivided rage and an extreme chakra focus that is very hard to create." Sasuke went on.

"So she no longer has anger issues?"

"I didn't say that. Anyway, let's move on. While Sakura is a close combat type, The Spirit uses mind-type jutsu that require locking on to a target. Her close combat is only in case of emergencies. She also uses poison, if she's in a hurry. She's the troublemaker, sometimes. She's always after another man; she even went after me once."

"So she has mental issues?"

"Oh, very funny. She might actually be the most sane of them all, except for the nymphomania. Next is Dog-Tag Inuzuka, who isn't as interesting. Still, his bond with Wonderdog is what makes him strong."

"Akamaru, right?"

Sasuke nodded, "His close combat uses a lot of speed, so he can outmaneuver and then lay a fast counterattack. He's got a thing for Hinata, not that I can blame him. He's pretty calm, but his emotions get the best of him; both love and hate. He's prone to jealousy, and is territorial."

"Ok, then…"

Sasuke leaned back in his char, "Hinata 'Violet' Hyuuga may be the most fucked up one of the all. She bottles up her emotions and uses them as pure energy. However, it those emotions that make her a great fighter. Ever since her cousin disappeared, she trained to get stronger and take his place in the elite. Unfortunately, she has developed feeling for Naruto. I believe she had known him when they were younger, but I'm not sure. She can be good or evil depending on the situation. None of my Elite Gladiators are to be trifled with, that I can assure you."

"Good, now…Naruto."

* * *

A few hours later, the young man in the hospital bed's eyes flickered open. He looked out his window and saw sun rise. He let out a loud cough and looked over at the girl sitting at his bed side, "Hinata?" The sunlight glistened on her long flowing hair.

She let out a loud gasp, "Kiba, you're awake! Oh thank God, I thought you wouldn't make it."

Kiba tried to sit up, but cringed when he moved his shoulder. "What happened? I remember that I was going up to Sakura's room to tell her something. I opened the door and then some guy shot me. Huh, did they at least get the bullets out?" He rubbed his aching shoulder.

"Kiba, there were no bullets. Sakura said it was some kind of jutsu. She doesn't know who it was. Anyway, I hope you feel alright. Naruto's match is this afternoon and I would want you to miss him fight Shino. It's been a long time since we've seen him." Hinata smiled.

"That's what I wanted to tell her. I had to warn her to call off the match." Kiba looked up at her.

"Why?" Hinata asked surprised.

"I heard rumors that an old Gladiator had returned and was being matched up him." Kiba sighed.

Hinata held his hand, "You don't think Naruto can beat him? I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Kurenai-sensei." Kiba murmured. Hinata's eyes shot open, "Hinata, you're squeezing my hand too hard. Ow."

Hinata jumped off of the bed and walked out of the room. She didn't know what was going on. Her old sensei left years ago. Neji said she left after Asuma was killed in battle. Why is she coming back, she hated the Arena. Hinata was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Naruto walk right past her; a first. She opened the double doors in the lobby only to find Sakura had left. "Sakura?"

"She's not here." A familiar voice said. Hinata looked over and found her old comrade sitting on the black leather couch.

"Shino!" Hinata was shocked to see him; legally he wasn't allowed to be in the Hospital ward. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I stop by and see how my old friend is?" He asked looking up at her. "I heard about what happened, and I was surprised that someone infiltrated the security of the Elite Housing."

"Yeah... me too. Kiba's awake now, if you want to see him. I'm looking for Sakura, have you seen her."

Shino nodded, "She went inside to see Ino. She just got out of surgery. From what I hear you put her there. Anyway, I also came by to warn you about today's match." He stood up and headed for the exit.

"Kiba told me already. I can't believe Kurenai-sensei is returning. I'll have to ask how she's doing."

"Hinata…ask beforehand. What you don't know is that this is a fight to the death. Only one of them is coming out alive; either Naruto or Kurenai. I hate to see either of them die, but…rules are rules. Especially with Sasuke." Shino opened the door to exit.

"Shino…thank you. Wait, I have to ask you something."

"What?" Shino turned his head.

"Are you still...upset that Kiba and I were promoted and you weren't?"

"…" Shino left without saying a word.

* * *

"And there's not much more to say about Naruto."

The Representative of Psychology organized his paperwork and walked back to his seat. The Chairman of the Board whispered something into his ear as he took his seat. "Representative of Life & Death, you my speak."

The man stood up and walked to the podium, "Sasuke, you fuck, you are the reason I've been here all night. For people cause problems under your watch, and now you just ranted on for hours about one guy. You...Are...A...Dick. Now, like I was saying, there have been some problems. We all know that what happens in the arena happens. I personally have not jurisdiction there, but everywhere else is my domain. My title is literally Representative of Life & Death. Do you know why it is written with '&' symbol and not the word 'and?' Because they go hand in hand. If they were separated by only two more characters, then there would not be a balance. Understand?"

"And they say I ramble." Sasuke retorted.

"...As I was saying, I don't know if you are aware of this, but two of your so called 'Elite Gladiators' have been hospitalized a few hours ago. Obviously you didn't hear because the order to get them fixed up immediately was given by the Representative of Medicine. You allowed two top fighters to be injured on Housing grounds. The Spirit took a brutal assault, and impaling, by a fellow Elite, Violet, in the mess hall and Dog-Tag was shot in the Elite Housing. Now explain to me how the fuck this happened?"

"...Uh," Sasuke was a blank. He didn't even hear about this.

"Because you were careless. You allowed assets to be damaged and the mess hall is coming out of your salary." He said glaring down at Sasuke.

"How is this my fault? I told you they were all insane!" He yelled, almost tipping over his chair.

"That is why the Representative of Psychology will be giving Psych evaluations within the coming weeks. Now normally I'd understand a Gladiator getting into a fight with another Gladiator, but you also allowed an assassin inside the building. How the hell did he get in the Elite Housing, huh? You'd better hope nothing like this happens again and you'd better hope that if it does, I won't need to call an M&M. Otherwise your head will be on the chopping block. Literally. The Representative of Life & Death stormed off, back to his seat. As soon as he sat down, another rose. He walked down to the pedestal and just stared at Sasuke.

"As the Representative of Construction, I'm going to give this to you straight. You had better get the lift constructed soon because it is about a week overdue. The cafe has to be fixed up from this little tussle. I want more locks put on more doors so no intruders can get in...Again. On that note, he hasn't been caught yet. He may still be within the walls of the arena. In that case you had better pray you don't run into him. I also expect the window in your office to be fixed from Sakura jumping out of it. I also looks tacky, although that's probably a job for the Representative of Decor. I want you to get all of this done within the next two weeks...you know how much I hate waiting." He turned around and walked back to his seat.

"Why am I telling you all of this? Don't you people already know this stuff?"

"Well, we wanted to see how much you knew. And frankly..." The Chairman spoke, "You're a disappointment, Sasuke. Untie him; Board meeting dismissed."

Sasuke closed his eyes, "..."

* * *

Sakura sighed, "Ino, stop eyeing the doctor."

"But he's hot! Anyway, thanks for coming to see me. I can't believe Hinata impaled me on a table leg."

"I don't know why you two fight over Naruto. He's a nice guy but..."

"Sakura, I know how you feel about him. He and I are just friends. Hinata's the one going psychopath." Ino smirked.

"I guess we'll just have to watch Naruto's match today from the monitor." Sakura said sitting back in her chair. "It's already seven. I don't think you, or Kiba, will be alright by noon."

Ino frowned, "I heard about that. How'd he get inside your room without you knowing?"

"I-I don't know. I guess he was there before I came in and masked his chakra. Oh God, that means he saw me changing!" Sakura cringed. The idea that her assassin saw her naked gave Sakura the shivers. The idea that she didn't notice him beforehand didn't make her feel any better.

Ino laughed, "Gross! But...if he was already in your room, he must have known which room is yours."

"Yeah? Well, anyway, he's gone now. I threw him into a wall." She smiled. She had hoped he ran off afterwards. Otherwise...

"I'm surprised you let it get that far, though. Yukon, you don't have a lot of techniques that don't involve punching. No wonder he got the jump you. I thought you were stronger than that." Ino joked.

"I...guess not." Sakura bit her lip.

* * *

Naruto had her pinned against the wall, "I know what you did, Hinata!" He growled. Naruto had one hand on her shoulder and the other on the back wall, preventing her from escaping.

"N-Naruto, what's wrong? You're scaring me." She cried. Hinata saw the hatred in Naruto's eyes which were no longer a bright blue, but a blood red. She felt as though he was trying to burn a holes through her skull.

"Good! Your little stunt could've had them all killed. Do you know what could have happened to Sakura and Ino and Kiba? Or don't you even care about your friends?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?"

Naruto gritted his teeth, "Don't lie to me!"

"I...I did it for you...for us." She murmured. Hinata had only seen Naruto like this once before when they were younger. It was rather frightening to her, actually.

Naruto squeezed her shoulder hard, his claws digging into her flesh. "You did this for yourself, Hinata! I was in there, I saw them. They almost didn't make it. I know about your little fight with Ino and I met your assassin. He told me it was you! He ratted on you, Hinata. I guess you didn't pay him enough." Naruto shook his head trying to calm down, seeing as how Hinata was about to breakdown. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction.

"I can't believe this happened, and it was all because of you. The first few days I'm in here, and all hell breaks loose. Maybe this was a mistake..." Naruto sighed, "Coming home."

"Naruto I...." Hinata pleaded. Hinata closed her eyes and tried to hold back the tears; to no avail.

"Save it. I never expected this from you. I thought you were better than this." Naruto let go of Hinata and stormed out of the room.

"I...guess not." Hinata slid onto the floor and cried. She didn't move for a while.

Naruto splashed the cool water on his face, trying the sooth his anger. The bathroom on the fourth floor was the cleanest, considering it was the Elite Housing. He looked into the mirror and saw his eyes return to their natural color. He let out a loud sigh of relief and headed for the door. The bathroom had five sinks, five urinals, and five stalls equipped with be dais; it was unisex. There was a diaper changing table, but considering there were no children allowed in the Arena, Naruto assumed it was a sex table. The floor was cleaned each day and so were the stalls. Naruto wondered how much money was put into one bathroom.

Naruto stood in the door way after hearing a flushing noise come from one of the stalls. "I've done what you asked. I collected as much Intel as I can. You have to do the rest." The voice said. Whoever it was, they stayed in the stall.

"And that would be?" Naruto asked teasingly.

"Win." The person slid a file under the door.

Naruto walked over to the stall and leaned back against the door, "I still don't know if I can trust you." He picked up the folder.

"I snuck into the Director's Office to steal these documents. I also found out about your new opponent for today. I think you'll recognize her. I think this little gift proves you can trust me." The person threw a scroll under the door. "This jutsu should give you the upper hand. You've got a few more hours; learn it."

Naruto looked through the folder, scanning its contents. The folder contained shipment orders, personal dossiers, schedules, and a message sent by the Director himself:

_Agent,_

_I'm proud to inform you that your cover has not been compromised. I once again apologize for making go into hiding for the last few days. You may continue with Operation Sigma. There will be more arriving within the next week. Find your target and capture him. The Board wants him alive. Do not fail me again._

_The Director._

Naruto closed the file and heading towards the door. "Don't lose." The informant said as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"No mercy."

**Act I: End**


	6. Act II: Chapter 1

**Act II: Sandstorm**

_Chapter 1: Dead on Arrival_

"I'm surprised you agreed to join us, "said the blonde kunoichi. "We tend to have a reputation among certain people." She glanced over her shoulder at the woman who followed her and her brothers. This woman kept her ebony hair straight all the way around with her bangs hanging down and a blood red stripe down the right side. She wore a white mini-skirt that was stained with blood and, covering her top, was an old, shredded, forest green vest. That's all that was covering her top. She wore heels that were much higher than those of the blonde girl, "Well, I figure since we're all going to the same place…"

The group of travelers had just crossed from dessert to the forest. The leaves shook in the breeze as a warm blew against their faces. The sun that had been beating down on them throughout the desert was now hidden by the dense trees. The woman had been traveling through the dessert when she stumbled upon the trio. They were heading to Konoha, just as she was. They had all been there before, when they were younger. The leaves crackled under their sandals. The woman looked over the people she was traveling. Although she is very good at observing things, the woman had a hard time describing the travelers.

The blond girl wore a black kimono with a red sash around her waist, holding an oversized fan. Next to her was a tall man with a strange black suit, wearing even stranger makeup. He carried three large scrolls on his back. In between the two of them was a younger boy with blood red hair and a dark look in his eye. He carried a rather large gourd on his back. The older women following them had one thought constantly going around in her head; 'Once we arrive in Konoha, ditch the freaks.'

"But that doesn't make us bad people." The brown-haired boy on the left looked back, "If you don't mind me asking, what's your reason for going to Konoha?" He was the most talkative of the four travelers. Often making remarks about how they aren't paid enough. He would, then, slouch after being reminded they were doing this as a favor for someone.

The woman smirked, "Well, what's your reason?" In fact, she did mind him asking. However, she doubted that they would still accompany her if she refused to answer. Most people were like that; although, these three weren't like most people…obviously.

Their redheaded boy in the center spoke, "I believe we're going to solve a murder." The boy spoke the least of the four. He would just stare on into the distance, often forgetting he was accompanying others. The woman assumed that this boy was, by far, the most dangerous of the three. She would not dare trifle with him; at least, not while he was looking, anyway. The blond girl nodded as she reached into her back pocket for the map. The older woman assumed she was the oldest of the trio, considering how she organized everything. She read it and looked up and down, comparing their position. "Konoha should be right at the bottom

The ebony haired woman had observed much of these three as they traveled together for the last twenty-four hours. The only thing that concerned her, besides the fact that she did not understand how these three could be related was that she had a mission to complete. "You believe you are all going to solve a murder? Well, then I believe I'm going to cause one."

* * *

Naruto sat in the locker room, preparing for what would be his first real fight in the arena. It was eleven thirty, just half an hour before his match. As he looked over the dossier of his opponent he had received from his new 'friend,' he began to realize something. He knew this woman. Before he left, during his few days at the academy, he would see this woman around town. She would be training in the field or talking to this one other Jonin.

Naruto remembered the encounter he had last night with the assassin. As soon as he heard what had happened, He ran up to Sakura's room to investigate. All he found was a large black stain on her wall. The only thing he thought he could do to help was to use his Shadow Clones to search the hallways. Knowing how large the Elite Housing was, Naruto sent dozens of clones in all directions, determined to hunt down the intruder. It wasn't long until he was found, rummaging through Hinata's room.

"What are you doing in here, you bastard?" He shouted, clenching his fists. The man just looked up at him and continued digging through dresser drawer, "I'm looking for the rest of my paycheck. Miss. Hyuuga said it would be on top of her dresser, but that is not the case." He looked under the bed and behind the door, and even inside her pillow case. He sighed, "I guess I'll have to just put it on her next bill."

Naruto yelled, "What do you mean Miss. Hyuuga paid you?" He glared at the tall, skinny man who stood in the middle of the room. The man cocked his head to the side and approached Naruto. He spoke, "She is the one who hired me to send the 'message' to Sakura." He raised his hands, "I'm not allowed to harm you, so I'll just have to ask you nicely. May I get through?"

"You're not going anywhere! I don't believe Hinata would do anything of the sort" he growled. The man stared at Naruto's glowing, red eyes just for a moment. Suddenly, he leaned in closer and whispered into Naruto's ear. "Like I said, I cannot harm you. Miss. Hyuuga's orders," He planted his lips firmly on Naruto's and placed his hand firmly in Naruto's groin. The assassin pulled back and stared into Naruto's wide, astonished eyes. He squeezed harder and Naruto cringed, "However…you are a clone, Naruto and…so am I." The assassin suddenly exploded, causing Naruto's clone to disappear as well. When his clones returned to him, Naruto felt the same feelings of rage and…disgust.

Naruto shook his head as he snapped out of his memory. Confronting Hinata only confirmed what the assassin said. It was enough to send shivers down his spine. He sat the file down next to him and opened up the scroll. As Naruto read through it, his eyes widened at the thought of using it. Considering how much chakra he already had, this jutsu would end the match in a heartbeat. As long as he could hold out until the second round, he could win this easily. What troubled him was the fact that his contact was able to sneak into the Director's office for one file. He did not fully understand how the head of the Arena's office was left so unguarded.

However, Naruto was caught off guard as he felt a warm hand against his bare back. He looked up and saw a young woman hovering over him. Naruto looked at her, "What are you doing in here? This is the guy's locker room."

The woman sighed, "There are only two locker rooms and they are both unisex. Get over it," she chuckled. "Speaking of sex…"

Naruto shook his head, "I'm going in about fifteen minutes. Besides, I already told you I'm in a relationship."

The woman smiled as she messaged his shoulders, "This isn't a relationship. It is just sex."

"I said no!" Naruto stood up. The woman came around the other side and looked him in the eyes. She ran her hand down the front of his body until she reached inside his pants. "Your mouth says no, but your body is saying…fuck yeah." She smirked. Naruto looked away.

"Fine, then sit back and let me do the work." She undid Naruto's belt, sat him back down on the bench and got down on her knees.

* * *

As the four entered the gates of Konoha, the ebony haired woman stepped out in front of the trio, "Well it's been fun guys but, like I said, I have a murder to commit." She disappeared within seconds. The blonde girl looked down at her youngest brother, "Kankuro and I will stake out the rest of the village. It would be wise of you to find their Arena."

The redheaded boy looked up at the eight story tower in the far off distance. "I believe found it. It is the largest building in this village."

Kankuro looked around, "It's practically the only building in this village." He sighed, "Another village gone to waste. It sort of reminds you of home, huh bro?" The redheaded boy was gone, "Damn it Temari, why do you let him run off like that."

She sighed, "He knows what he's doing. Now let's go, we need to find our contact." The two started on the left road and continued along the outer perimeter of the village. What they observed truly disturbed them. Many of the buildings, both public and residential, were in the midst of decay. As the two walked around the residential district they found most of the homes' walls were beginning to cave in. Many of the ceilings already had. Many of the people they had seen were living in the streets. They looked homeless and cold, seeming as though they had lost all hope. It was so depressing that, as Kankuro put it, "it makes you want to lay down and die."

The two made a right and walked through the market district, or lack thereof. Most of the stores were closed down, permanently. The only restaurant still in business was an old ramen bar, which managed to stay open due to the rather large ramen exports to the Arena's cafeteria. They made a left onto the main street and looked down at the large, decaying building near the back of the village. Temari could only assume that it used to be the Hokage's Offices. Hovering above the building were five rock faces, carved into the mountain. Temari, using her natural intuition, assumed that these were the previous Hokage of the village. She also assumed that, if you asked the people still living in the village, no one even remembered their names.

Temari being the most compassionate of the three, although you'd never know it, felt genuinely sorry for these people. This was not just due to the fact that, although their village was in rough shape, Konoha is ten times worse. "Kankuro, I think I actually pity these people."

"Who wouldn't? I bet the hospital can barely stay open." He looked around at the decaying buildings, "Maybe it was a good thing that happened to our village. I don't think I could watch our people suffer. I can barely stand watching these people."

"Kankuro!" Temari condemned.

"You know what I mean," Kankuro sighed. "And to think all of the money that could be used to revive this village, is put into that damn arena. We should just burn it down, like the first arena."

Temari looked deep into her brother's eyes and put her hand on his shoulder, "Don't you understand, Kankuro? All of these, people or at least the ones that aren't flat broke, pay for that arena themselves. Every time they go in there, they pay more and more, but why do they pay to get it? Because they have nothing left. They may be homeless, jobless, or starving; fuck, they could be dying from some third world disease. But instead of paying for what they need, like food or medicine, they pour all of their money into the 'best show of their life.' It is a never ending circle that will never die until each and every person still living in this village is dead. If you get rid of the Arena, will lose whatever faith they had left. But when all of the people die the Arena will run out of money. For some Gladiators there won't be another paycheck. For others, there will no longer be a crowd cheering them on. The Gladiators will leave and the Area will be as abandoned as the rest of the village. That is what happened to the rest of the Arenas…including ours."

"Temari?" Kankuro asked.

"…Yeah?"

"Is that _our_ brother trying to destroy whatever is left of this village?"

* * *

The ebony haired woman walked the halls of the Arena. She was sure she was in the hospital wing on account of all of imported doctors, one of which actually asked her if she had any pain medication on her. She lied… and told him, she didn't. As he limped away frustrated, she popped a few into her own mouth. She found that the hospital wing was especially small with only twelve nurses, six doctors, and six hospital rooms; two of which were occupied.

She looked through the glass doors of the second room and saw two teenagers making out on top of a hospital bed; her two former students. The opened the door and walked in, "Is really of good idea to do that while you're recovering in the hospital, Kiba?"

There was a faint yell of, "That's what I said," from one of the doctors. Hinata pulled away as fast as she could and stood up to face her sensei. She swallowed her spit, "Kurenai-sensei, ma'am."

She smiled, "Cut the sensei crap, those days are gone." She pulled Hinata in for a welcomed embrace. "Along with this village," She muttered. "So…I see you've kept out of trouble, Kiba."

Kiba threw his hands up, "This isn't my fault, some guy broke into the Arena and almost killed Sakura. Right, Hinata?"

Hinata nodded slightly, "So, Kurenai, what have you been up to?" The two women sat on the side of Kiba's hospital bed. Kiba tried to sit up, but fell back against the bed. So he used the remote.

"As you both know, when the Arena was first constructed, The White Fang was assigned as Director. Most of the Jonin, including myself became the first gladiators. By the end of the first month, we had killed about a hundred criminals each. However, something happened within the second month of running the Arena. While The White Fang was busy signing papers, Asuma and I…" Kurenai paused for a moment. "We were transporting more prisoners into the cells of the Arena. However, one of these prisoners escaped and attacked us. Since I had just entered the second trimester of my pregnancy, I was no longer allowed to fight within the Arena until I had given birth. Asuma was determined to make sure I wouldn't have to."

Hinata and Kiba looked at each other, then back to Kurenai. "I fought my hardest, but Asuma didn't let him lay one hand on me. I…" Hinata put her hand on her shoulder. Kurenai let out a rather large sigh, "I don't know what happened exactly, but this rogue ninja must have been one powerful son of a bitch. Asuma died that day…he died in my arms. I left soon afterwards, hoping I'd never have to come back here, but here I am. This place just isn't what it used to be. Maybe that's why it doesn't bring back too many bad memories." Kurenai stood up and opened the door.

"Wait, Kurenai-sensei." Hinata shouted, "What about-"

"My match? Don't worry; I won't let it drag on. I'll take on whatever this so called, Director, can throw at me." Kurenai smiled as she left the room.

Hinata waved, but her smile slowly faded. "Does she know about Naruto?"

"I…" Kiba said, worried. The two stared at one another, as Kiba flipped on the TV.

* * *

The horns blared, the crowd roared within the Arena, and Sakura longed to be there in her box seat; instead she was watching it on a dinky, thirty-two inch plasmas screen TV. Although Sasuke spared no expense for his most prized fighters, it was nothing compared to being there; feeling the wind in your hair, watching each warrior fighting for their life. It was an absolute rush, well, at least to Sakura it was. Sakura figured that the next best thing to being in a fight was to watch one up close and personal. Sakura loved the roar of the crowed, cheering her on. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the only person, who had ever cheered for her, is presumably dead. Nevertheless, Sakura stared at that TV, daydreaming.

"You can go if you want to," Ino said sincerely. Sakura looked back at her, unsure of how to react. "I know you want to see Naruto. Besides, I know how much you like being close to the action." Ino turned up the volume on the plasma screen. Sakura thought about this for a moment. It was rather rare that Ino would do something like this. Not that Ino was selfish…but she wasn't very selfless, either. This was a golden opportunity for Sakura. She took it.

"I'll even admit, this is nothing compared to the live action." Ino continued to turn up the volume until you could feel the vibrations of the surround sound speakers, "What are you waiting for? Go." Ino giggled, "Go see your boyfriend."

Sakura stood up, "Maybe your right, I should be there for Naruto. Seeing how it's his first real match. If you don't mind being alone for it." Ino shook her head and lied back in her bed. "Alright, I'll see you tonight." Sakura opened the glass doors and headed down the hallway. She knew Naruto would want her support. She also knew that this was a life or death match. Sakura wasn't going to miss a good execution.

Unbeknownst to Sakura, Naruto would be fighting a former Jonin of the Leaf Village; a woman with no mercy left within her. The times had changed all of them, but Kurenai had grown much colder over the years. She may not look it, but she was willing to do anything to win; not that Sakura was any different. Sakura had not heard about that opponent change. She assumed he was going to kill off Shino, not that she really cared if Shino lived or died. He was, after all, a low level Gladiator. Naruto could wipe the floor with him, but then something occurred to Sakura.

Sakura doubled back, "He's not my boyfriend."

* * *

The horns blared and the crowd roared within the Arena; it made Kurenai want to throw up. Kurenai could barely believe what had come of this place she used to call home. She remembered the luscious, green forest, the sparkling river that ran through the village, and the perfectly carved, mountain faces that had once watched over them. Now most of the forest was gone; the trees were cut down for wood while building the Arena. The river was polluted, while the Hokage Faces were vandalized and in the midst of decay. In a way, Kurenai blamed herself in part. However, she had no time to dwell on this; not now anyway.

The speakers blared, "Ladies and gentlemen, the hour is finally at hand." Sasuke's voice, along with his arrogance, was projected through the loudspeakers placed around the coliseum-like seating. "I present to you a face that many of our older audience members just might recognize."

As Sakura took her seat in the private box, she looked to the opposite end of the Arena seating to see a large master speaker. This was projected directly at the box seats, for Sakura's viewing pleasure. She sighed, "I swear to God, one of these days, he's going to put a frickin' Jumbotron on the wall." Sakura looked around the Arena. It was a full house; Sakura found this strange as this was only a minor challenge." A tall, gray-haired man in a tuxedo walked up from behind her, offering popcorn. She wasn't going to say no. The man walked over to the popcorn machine in the back of the room. The box seating was specifically designed to accommodate the five Elite Gladiators. As Sakura looked around, she had noticed the seating had been upgraded since Naruto first arrived.

She noticed that the seats had been replaced with red leather comforters, placed right next to one another in the middle of the long, rectangular room. She noticed the black carpet along the floor and up the ramps on both ends of the seats. Sakura noticed that there actually were ramps on both ends of the seats. She found the entire room, had been revamped to look like a private movie screening. The seating was set on the very edge of the rail guard. She looked down and found, what appeared to be, a remote activated glass panel capable of rising out of the floor and shielding the entire private box; cutting it off from the Arena. Sasuke spared no expense.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "If he's trying to impress me, he's failing miserably." The manservant returned with the popcorn and a bottle of water.

Sasuke stood at his podium, high above the action. "I present to you the strong willed, strong-minded, and a former, Gladiator of Leaf Arena…" As Sakura heard those words, she froze. Sakura had figured out too little, too late, that this was not an ordinary match. This was a Hero's Match, one of the rarest matches shown within the Arena. If a former Gladiator, for whatever reason, returns to their home Arena, they must once again fight for their place in the Arena. Only the strongest Gladiators return because only the strongest survive outside of the Arena. Sakura knew this very well. She also knew that Naruto was out of his league.

"I present to you a former Jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village, who once decimated the Arena's prisoners as a First Generation-Elite Gladiator."

Sakura stood up, but was promptly seated back down by the assistant, "Miss Haruno, you have been asked to not interfere with this match. You have a record of joining the fight when you should not be fighting. However, you now wish to stop this match in fear of what may happen. I know you may be worried, but if your friend is strong enough he will overcome; if you have faith in him."

Sakura leaned forward and let out a large sigh, "I guess…I do have faith in him." Sakura, however, was worried. Naruto's opponent was of the First Generation. They were the original Gladiators of Leaf Arena, who fought thousands upon thousands in the Legendary Uprising. A First Generation Gladiator had not been seen for many years. Sakura had seen them in action before she herself had decided to fight in the Arena. One in particular, had caught her eye many a time. However, because of the Legendary Uprising, only a few of the First Generation Gladiators were still alive. In fact, only a handful still resided within the Arena at the time the Second Generation became Gladiators, meaning Sakura and her friends. It is because of this, however, that the idea of a First Generation Gladiator, let alone an Elite Gladiator, returning to Leaf Arena is no coincidence.

Sakura was suspicious, "…" Sakura was thinking.

Sasuke was still rambling on, "I give to you the one, the only, The Illusionist." These words broke Sakura's train of thought. No, these words crashed Sakura's train of thought into the side of a mountain; then her train fell off a cliff into the ocean. Sakura was exaggerating. The crowd roared as the ebony haired woman entered from the right side of the Arena. Sakura stood up, leaning against the railing. The woman was truly Kurenai The Illusionist. She was said to have single handedly stopped The Legendary Uprising. She was said to have controlled an army with just her Genjutsu. Kurenai was said to have been able to manipulate her enemies using sheer wit. Kurenai's is the very last statue at the end of The Hall of Warriors, standing right next to the vacant pedestal that Sakura had so very much sought after. Perhaps Sakura wasn't exaggerating.

Sasuke's voice rang throughout the Arena, "This will be a two round, one-on-one Gladiator Round to the Death. Only one shall survive, and only one shall retain their place as a Leaf Arena Elite. Now, I give you our newest champion. He is the strong, cunning, dashing young man off the streets of the Leaf. He is the one, the only, Naruto!" The crowd cheered and hollered as Naruto walked out of the left entrance. He zipped up his signature jacket and pulled a black headband out of his pocket, tying it to his forehead. On it was a curved metal plate; the plate remained blank.

Naruto and Kurenai stared each other down. Kurenai looked at his shimmering, blue eyes and watched as his blonde hair wavered in the breeze. The crowd had gone silent; a first in Arena history, Sakura noted. Kurenai reached into a pocket in her green vest, pulling out a couple of senbon needles. Kurenai squinted, "Before we begin, I must ask." Kurenai took aim, "Have we met before?"

Naruto prepared his kunai, "No, I don't believe we have."

* * *

Hinata lied in bed next to Kiba, her hand lay gently on his chest. The two stared up at the ceiling, counting the tiles. Kiba had put TV on mute, considering all that Gladiators had done so far was stare each other down. It had been a total five minutes since the match started, and all they did was stand still. "You know Kurenai-sensei is a tracker, she's watching his every move. Naruto…well, I'm not sure how much he knows about her. I don't suppose he remembers her, considering they've never really met."

Hinata nuzzled her face into his neck, "I guess. I don't really want anyone to die. Especially…"

"Naruto?" Kiba asked, looking away; Hinata nodded. He ran his fingers through her long, silky, violet hair. He felt her warm breath on his neck. Kiba turned his head toward Hinata. "Hinata, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead," Hinata said, staring into his deep….eyes.

Kiba wanted to ask about Hinata's feelings for Naruto…and himself. He hesitated, unsure of how to ask such a question. He cleared his throat, "Hinata, how do you feel…about Naruto?"

Hinata smiled, "You know how I feel."

"You love him, don't you?" Hinata nodded. "How do you feel about…me?"

Hinata said nothing, not that she could think of anything to say. She thought about what to say, but nothing beyond, "I…" came out of her mouth. "Give me a minute, Kiba. I have to use the bathroom." Hinata sat up and swung her legs over the bed. She practically ran out of the room and down the hallway. Kiba turned up the volume on the TV.

Hinata ran into the unisex bathroom and into the stall. She slammed the door shut and screamed, "Sai!" In an instant, her young assassin appeared in the stall right next to hers. "Did you disobey my orders?" Hinata leaned against the side wall.

"No I don't believe so."

Hinata growled, "What were my orders, Sai?"

Sai leaned against the side wall, putting the two back o back. "As I recall, you said to leave Sakura the message and take out Ino. However, seeing as how you had singlehandedly put her in the hospital, I assumed I wouldn't be necessary."

"What else did I say?" Hinata shook her head.

He crossed his arms, "Not to touch Naruto or hurt innocent people."

Hinata opened the door and entered the adjacent stall, "They why did you put Kiba in the hospital?" She shouted, staring him down.

"He had interfered with the plan. He barged into Sakura's room, so he had to be dealt with. Besides, it's not like I killed him. I aimed just right as to completely avoid his heart and lungs."

Hinata slapped him across the face, "Don't sound so proud. Next time I tell you to threaten someone, leave Naruto _and_ Kiba out of it." She stormed off, leaving Sai in the stall.

He muttered, "It's not my fault you can't decide who you love. To me, it's like deciding who lives and who dies. It's not that hard."

* * *

The crowed remained still; the silence was deafening. As cliché as that may sound, there was absolutely no other way Sasuke could describe his boredom. He had begun to regret ever allowing this match to occur. He had no idea Kurenai would drag this out, but then again, he was angry at himself for not realizing what a Genjutsu actually looks like. After all, he does have the Sharingan. He leaned into his microphone, "And it is twelve-thirty in the afternoon, in a few minutes we'll be taking a short-"

Suddenly, Kurenai raised her hand. "I must apologize," Kurenai said, looking around at the lifeless spectators. "It's been so long since I fought in an Arena, that I forgot how to put on a show." Kurenai began a long string of hand signs, some that Sakura recognized as Kurenai's special area enhancement. Sakura had seen this only once, when she was when she was a little girl. Kurenai had developed a special genjutsu, capable of control multiple chakras at once. This is Kurenai Yuhi singlehandedly stopped The Legendary Uprising. Sakura was unsure if she was willing to be caught in such a Genjutsu. Sasuke, on the other hand, was on the edge of his seat.

Naruto had a moment to recover, as Kurenai dropped the Genjutsu. Naruto now assumed that there would be no second round. Once this next Genjutsu would begin, there would be no turning back. Naruto had one trick up his sleeve; he just had to survive long enough to use it. For his new technique to work, Naruto would have to survive a wave of devastating attack from a Genjutsu specialist. Naruto knew it would be pointless to even attempt breaking out of every Genjutsu. Kurenai was relentless; it was harder for Naruto to use Genjutsu Release than it was for her to cast them. He had only option left. This jutsu, quite literally, has to save Naruto's life.

"Ninja Art: Aberration,"

In an instant, Sakura could feel herself being swept away by an intangible force. She felt her chakra network being disrupted, redirected, and then suddenly… She felt as though she was floating. It was as if her chair had disappeared from underneath her. Sakura didn't like that feeling. Immediately afterwards, Sakura fell back in her chair; she wondered, whether or not, she was trapped in the illusion. However, her fears were soon realized as the bleak, desolate field, flourished with color.

Short sprouts of grass shot up from where there was no soil. Flowers bloomed, although their roots could not penetrate the solid ground. The crowd stood in awe as a bed of roses surfaced along the outer walls of the field, encasing the two Gladiators within a red ring of fire. Sakura could not believe what she was seeing. The Arena's field had been barren for years, but now the field was graced with the daffodils and tulips that rose from the, once lifeless, dirt. It was the most beautiful meadow Sakura had ever seen. It may have been the only meadow she had ever seen. Suddenly the ground shook as a large, fully leafed, maple tree rose up from behind Kurenai. Sakura knew Naruto's fight had only just begun.

"Ninja Art: Garden of Eden!"

**

* * *

**

**Leaf Arena Time Line**

This story line is very intricate and the events that occur within it are hard to follow. I work hard to make sure everything lines up, just right. However, if you feel as though you are lost in all of these events, this is a comparative timeline. All events are in chorological order:

**12yrs Before Story:** Sakura's parents killed _(Sakura Age 4)_

-Sakura adopted by Kakashi Hatake

**8yrs BS:** Naruto leaves village _(Sakura Age 8)_

**6ys BS: **All Arenas first built prison as execution hall _(Sakura Age 10)_

- Sakura's Arena training begins

-Leaf Arena collapses

**4yrs BS:** Arena finally rebuilt, Plan G turned Leaf Arena into entertainment _(Sakura Age 12)_

-Kakashi Hatake appointed first Director

-First Generation begin as Gladiators (Kurenai, Asuma, Etc)

-Asuma killed

-Kurenai Leaves

-Second Generation begins as Gladiators (Ino, Hinata, Etc)

**2yrs BS:** Fifth Hokage becomes Director _(Sakura Age 14)_

_**-20 Months BS:**_Sakura's Red Angel, Fifth Hokage gives back job

_**-14 Months BS:**_ Kakashi Hatake Dethroned - Sasuke becomes Director

**1yr BS: **All other Arenas shut down _(Sakura Age 15)_

_**-6 Months BS: **_The Scar, The Red Moon, and The Shadow Disappear

_**-4 Months BS:**_ Neji disappears

**Story Starts: Monday **_**11:00 **_Naruto returns _(Sakura Age 16)_

_-12:00 _Sakura approaches Naruto

_-23:00_ Ino Vs Kiba

**Tuesday**_** 9:00**_ Sakura Vs Hinata

_-11:00_ Sakura takes Naruto to the library

--Sakura discovers the history book

_-11: 15_ Naruto knocks over book cases

_-24:00_ Sakura breaks into the Director's office

--Kiba and Hinata talk on the balcony

-**Wednesday** _**01:00 **_Sakura finds that whatever pages Sasuke had have already gone missing

_-01:15_ Sakura narrowly escapes Sasuke and jumps out window

- -Sakura lands on Terrace and interrupts Kiba and Hinata

_-09:00_ Sakura and Naruto spend morning fixing up library

_-12:00_ Ino encounters Naruto on the way to lunch - Hinata gives her first orders to the assassin

_-19:00 _Sakura returns to her room and is held hostage

_-19:30_ Hinata Vs Ino (Café)

_-20:00_ Sakura has flashback - Kiba is shot by assassin

_-24:00_ Sakura encounters Hinata in hospital wing

-**Thursday** _**01:30 **_Hinata discovers Kiba in hospital bed- Shizune sends Sasuke up to speak with The Board

_-02:00_ The Representative of Psychology tells Sasuke about Naruto's new opponent - Sasuke reveals personal histories of the Elite to The Representative of Psychology

_-02:30_ Kiba warns Hinata about Kurenai

--Hinata encounters Shino in the hospital lobby

-_05:00_ The Representative of Life & Death and The Representative of Construction make Sasuke aware of the assassin

_-7:00_ Ino jokes with Sakura about the lack of variation with her jutsu

-_07:50 _Naruto confronts Hinata about the assassin

-_08:00_ Naruto meets his contact in the bathroom and is given the dossier

_-11:45_ Naruto prepares of the match

--The four travelers arrive in Konoha

--Kurenai leaves as soon as they enter the gate

--Gaara heads for the arena

_-11:50_ Kankuro and Temari explore the village

_-11:55_ Kankuro and Temari find Gaara on the main street, outside of the Arena

--Kurenai meets Hinata and Kiba in the hospital room

--Kurenai tells them her story

--Sakura heads to the Arena

-_12:00 _Naruto Vs Kurenai


End file.
